caan1 wan3 caan1 sik6 caan1 caan1 cing1餐搵餐食餐餐清餐揾餐食餐餐清

Jyutpingcaan1 wan3 caan1 sik6 caan1 caan1 cing1

Yalechāan wan chāan sihk chāan chāan chīng

Definition

To live hand-to-mouth, spending everything you earn immediately with no savings left over.

colloquialmoneypeople

How it's used

This idiom describes a precarious financial situation where one's income is immediately consumed by daily expenses, leaving nothing for savings. It carries a sense of urgency and lack of financial security, often used to describe low-wage workers or those with poor financial management. The repetition of the word 餐 emphasizes the cycle of earning and spending that repeats with every meal or day.

Examples

keoi5佢fan2份loeng4糧dak1得go2嗰gei2幾cin1千man1蚊，caan1餐wan2搵caan1餐sik6食caan1餐caan1餐cing1清aa4呀。

He only earns a few thousand dollars, living paycheck to paycheck.

nei5你m4唔hou2好caan1餐wan2搵caan1餐sik6食caan1餐caan1餐cing1清，jiu1要cou5儲faan1返di1啲cin4錢bong6傍san1身。

Don't spend everything you earn immediately, you need to save some money for emergencies.

Common phrases

caan1餐wan2搵caan1餐sik6食

to live from hand to mouth

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for a positive description of living in the moment, but it is almost always used to highlight financial hardship or a lack of long-term planning.